


i've got friends that will run through walls

by stardustandswimmingpools



Category: Bandstand - Oberacker/Oberacker & Taylor
Genre: Angst, Canon Gay Character, Crying, Found Family, Gen, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Letters, Male-Female Friendship, anyway, i don't care what broadway tries to tell me. jimmy is canonically gay, i don't know why the fuck past me was so obsessed with michael writing letters to julia, okay serious why the fuck isn't found family an official ao3 tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:00:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23747230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardustandswimmingpools/pseuds/stardustandswimmingpools
Summary: When Jimmy walks in, he isn't expecting Julia to be collapsed on the floor, face in her hands, shaking.
Relationships: Jimmy Campbell & Julia Trojan, implied/referenced Donny Novitski/Michael Trojan, referenced Julia Trojan/Michael Trojan
Kudos: 32





	i've got friends that will run through walls

**Author's Note:**

> title from run through walls by the script which is a heartbreakingly beautiful and poignant song about friendship that im just. so in love with.  
> i wrote this awhile ago as well but looking back at it it seemed good enough to post. i just wanted some jimmy & julia bonding. probably this also takes place during the money-raising stage of the show, i guess. anyway. i love jimmy campbell and julia trojan with my entire heart. also donny/michael is canon. leave me alone.

When Jimmy walks in, he isn't expecting Julia to be collapsed on the floor, face in her hands, shaking.

His instinct is to run. His second instinct is to call 911. He represses both of these and instead takes a spot beside her on the floor. A box sits open in front of her.

When he sits, she looks up and immediately starts wiping away the tears. Jimmy gives her a wry smile.

“Sorry,” Julia says thickly. “I really did mean to rehearse, God, I'm so sorry you had to…”

Jimmy swallows. “What, uh, what's this?” He's trying to say  _ you don't have to apologize _ but it won't come out right. 

Julia glances over at the box and holds up a moderately crushed paper in her own hand. “Letters,” she says helplessly. 

Oh. Letters.

Jimmy knows about letters. He didn't write that many of them — there hadn’t really been anyone waiting to hear from him — but Julia must have gotten hundreds.

“Can I…” Jimmy hazards, holding out a hand.

He's kind of expecting her to refuse, but wordlessly she passes the note to Jimmy.

His eyes scan the top.

_ Dearest Julia, love of my life _ —

“It’s not what you're going to expect,” Julia whispers, looking at the carpet.

Jimmy frowns.

_ Dearest Julia, love of my life, _

_ We lost another man today. His name was Warren. Henry Warren. I know it's selfish, but every time someone else dies, I just think, “Thank god it wasn't me.” I know that's awful. But God, I miss you. And I keep on thinking that whatever missus Warren had, she'll never hear from him again. _

_ Not to put a damper on what I'm sure is a lovely evening you're having. Let me guess: Sunday crossword at the cafe. No, tap dancing. No, green tea and a book in bed. _

_ Yesterday in the bunker you came up for a second, while I was talking with Nova and the guys. You come up a lot, believe it or not. I guess it's only fair, since he comes up so much in these letters. If you and Nova ever meet, you better talk a lot about me. _

_ Anyhow, we were teasing one of the guys about his hair care routine (good joke; like we have time for hair care out here) and I said, “Only person I know who cares more for their hair than you is my wife, and at least she reaps the benefits.” (I love your hair, baby.) And then Nova made an offended noise, ran a hand through his hair, and said dramatically, “Excuse you! I put a  _ _ good _ _ three hours into this 'do! I'll battle Julia’s hair for your hand.” And we all fell to laughing. _

_ God, Jules. I know I say this all the time but Nova is really just gorgeous. I would believe he puts three hours to his hair, because it's always so...I don't know. Perfect! He has these eyes that just make you trust him, and he can be so earnest sometimes. It's disarming. _

_ And by the way, I would definitely let you two battle hair for my hand. Winner takes all. Set it up for when we come home. _

_ I love you so much I have to keep asking for other folks’ paper because I run out, _

_ Michael _

Jimmy is almost in tears when he finishes.

Julia is sneaking glances at him, as if he can't see, and when he lowers the paper to the ground she lifts her head up.

Jimmy worries his bottom lip between his teeth for a long moment.

“Were he and Donny…” Even though the proof is right there.

Julia nods, sniffles.

“And you...you knew?” Jimmy says uncertainly. It's a lot to take in, this whole part of Donny that he hadn't known. He feels like kind of a jerk now for being so aloof when Donny had first assumed him to be straight.

_ “People probably do that to you all the time.” “You get used to it.” _

Maybe it was a secret. Donny never seemed offended. Still, it makes Jimmy feel a little uncomfortable.

Julia nods again. “That's not...why you just found me in a puddle of my own tears.”

Jimmy knows why. The first part. The “thank God it wasn't me.” Reading this letter is like reading his own mental diary, and he feels an ache of understanding.

“I'm really sorry,” he murmurs. There's really nothing else to say. And Jimmy hasn't been open with anyone since the ship, since floating in the water with all his dead friends, since watching his boyfriend — a man who, in time, could have been the love of his life, maybe — slowly sink under, knowing Jimmy could do nothing to save him.

He keeps his walls up for a reason. There’s only so much a man can take. It feels like he’s been just shy of his breaking point since that day, and to even poke a hole in this wall and reach out to Julia feels gargantuan.

But he has to. This is Julia.

Julia shakes her head. “Don’t be.”

“I mean I sympathize,” Jimmy amends. “I know what it’s like, and I’m sorry you have to feel that way. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”

Julia looks up at him, a constellation of tears on her lashes. “You do?”

Jimmy stares silently at her for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of filling in the blanks of this story. He opens his mouth, unsure of what will come out, when she interrupts with a waving hand, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t pry. It’s none of my business.”

“No, it — it is.” Jimmy swallows. “I had a...a guy. In the navy. But — he didn’t make it either.”

Julia’s eyes are so vulnerable and sympathetic and sad. She reaches out, places a delicate hand on his knee. “I’m sorry.”

Jimmy shakes his head. “That’s not —”

“I’m sorry the way you’re sorry,” Julia continues. “I’m sympathetic. But that sounds so much worse. Can’t we just say sorry and understand each other?”

The corners of Jimmy’s mouth creep up, just a little bit. “Sure thing,” he says. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too,” Julia says softly. She closes her eyes for just a second. Jimmy watches her carefully. She leans back on her heels and stands up, then offers him a hand. He takes it, pulls himself to his feet. Jimmy’s heart feels heavy and light. Julia wipes her face with the heel of her hand, then says, “I’ll put all this away, and then we really can rehearse. It’s just a few small sections, and I didn’t want to pull Donny away from — I think he’s trying to arrange a new song.”

Jimmy wonders when she learned the same trick he knows, about how to break apart and then stitch yourself back up every day, again and again, until all you are is fragments hanging loosely together with thread. He wishes she never had to learn how to pretend to be happy. “Sounds wonderful.”

Somehow, Julia beams. Jimmy feels lighter.

Maybe he doesn’t have to tear down the walls. Maybe he can just expand, little by little.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!! i'm on tumblr @vivilevone come say hey :) leave a comment if ya liked it aaaand that's all stay healthy stay safe stay the fuck home byee


End file.
